2 North Texas Cities Considering Higher Standards For How Pet Shops Operate
UPDATE: Frisco And The Colony Put More Bite In City Rules Regarding Retail Pet Sales
FRISCO, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - Frisco resident Bret Quist can't stop thinking about the puppy he said he had to give away.
Last fall, Quist purchased a German Shepherd puppy named Harley from Petland in Frisco.
"You find something you really like, you get your daughter involved, you get your girlfriend involved," he said, fighting tears."Before you know it, we all kind of rallied."
Quist signed a contract with Petland, then paid more than $3,000 for the dog and related accessories.
Right away Quist said he noticed something was wrong.
"Dog's not eating. Dog's not drinking. Dog's very lethargic. We can't even get the dog to stand up," Quist recalled.
After numerous trips to the vet, Quist said he was told Harley had pneumonia and Giardia.
Quist said he believes Petland sold him a sick dog.
He and his girlfriend, Nikki Botticello, shared this belief during a Frisco town hall meeting last year.
On Tuesday, the Frisco City Council will hear a proposed ordinance which aims to increase transparency relating to pet stores and the retail sale of animals.
Among the proposed rules, the city wants to include requirements for animal and veterinary care, record-keeping and disclosure requirements and other consumer protection rules for pet stores.
It is also looking into prohibiting the sale or transfer of animals born outside of the United States.
But Quist said he does not think the proposal goes far enough. He would like Frisco to ban retail pet stores altogether.
Fort Worth, El Paso and Austin have already taken action to forbid retail pet sales in such stores.
The Colony is reviewing a proposal Tuesday that would make it more difficult for such stores to operate.
Last year, the U.S. Humane Society conducted an undercover sting at Petland, which is the only retail pet store in Frisco that sells dogs and cats.
But upon inspections, Animal Services did not issue any major violations related to animal care, enclosure, conditions or feeding, according to Sgt. Evan Mattei, of the Frisco Police Department, which encompasses Animal Services.
Quist said he wants the best for both animals and their owners.
"Are you willing to stand up for citizens in Frisco to stop the deceptive practice of selling dying animals to your citizens?" he said at last year's town hall meeting.
Quist gave Harley up for adoption after the veterinary bills started to add up.
In response to Quist's experience, a spokesperson for Petland said Harley did undergo a veterinary exam before leaving the store. Additionally, they said Quist never reopened his claim with the warranty company, never contacted store management, and never disputed his credit charges.
The Petland spokesperson said the store supports the proposed ordinance in Frisco.
"We would like to say that we have always had the health and welfare of our pets as priority number one," the spokesperson said. "A licensed veterinarian visits Petland in Frisco three times per week, and all customers getting a puppy or kitten go home with a signed exam sheet. We source our puppies and kittens from only the best breeders and often are able to show our customers videos of their pets [sic] breeder.....all puppies and kittens are up-to-date on vaccinations and dewormings, we have a written and signed Program of Veterinarian Care, and go above and beyond whenever we can."
The U.S. Humane Society also issued the following statement:
"Frisco is considering a pet store ordinance that takes a small step forward for animal care by requiring more transparency from pet stores. However, it does not change the fact that for every puppy in a pet store, there is a mother in a cage in a puppy mill. These dogs are routinely kept in cages barely longer than their bodies, bred every heat cycle until their bodies wear out, and killed when they are no longer productive breeders. Localities do not have the ability to regulate puppy mills outside their jurisdiction. But city councils can and should say no to these inhumane mills by banning the sale of puppies in pet stores."